Thinking About Meditation but Not Sure Where to Start? Try These 7 Easy Methods

Mediation is a wonderful way to connect to yourself. If you are anything like me, you may often get wrapped up in the future or the past, never really getting to know how I am feeling in the present or appreciating the moment. Meditation is one way to begin living in the moment and enjoying life a little more!

There are so many different types of meditation. How many? Who knows, but enough so that you can find the one that’s right for you. To get your search started, here are seven types of meditation you can try today.

7 Types of Meditation You Can Begin Today

1. Breath watching. Can meditating be as simple as paying attention to your breath for a few minutes? You bet. Relax in whatever position works best for you, close your eyes and start to pay attention to your breathing. Breathing through your nose gets your diaphragm involved and gets oxygen all the way to the bottom of your lungs. As your mind wanders, just re-focus your attention on the air going in and out of your nose. It is normal for your mind to wander, especially at first. Acknowledge this, accept this and bring yourself back to your breath. Just do this for several minutes, or longer as you get used to it.

2. An empty mind meditation. Meditating can create a kind of “awareness without object,” an emptying of all thoughts from your mind. The techniques for doing this involve sitting still, often in a “full lotus” or cross-legged position, and letting the mind go silent on its own. Feel your body in the present tense and be aware of any sensations around you. It can be difficult, particularly since any effort seems to just cause more business in the mind.

3. Walking meditations. This one gets the body involved and is personally one of my favorites. It can be outside or simply as a back and forth pacing in a room. In my opinion it is best to do this barefoot and focus on your movements as well as any sensations, such as your feet touching the ground. Pay attention to your body and your breath as you walk. When your mind wanders, just keep bringing it back to the process of walking and breathing. Do you walk with equal distribution of weight? What do you notice? Feel as much as you can. Meditating outside in this way can be difficult because of the distractions. If you do it outside, find a quiet place with level ground.

4. Eating Meditations. Next time you go to eat, try to pay attention. Give your attention to the tastes of the foods. What kind of sensations do you feel or taste? This practice will allow you to enjoy your foods much more and give appreciation. Another good practice you can add to this is to give thanks for the food as well. Gratitude and appreciation are one with this meditation.

5. Mindfulness meditation. A practice Buddhists call vipassana or insight meditation, mindfulness is the art of becoming deeply aware of what is here right now. You focus on what’s happening in and around you at this very moment, and become aware of all the thoughts and feelings that are taking your energy from moment to moment. You can start by watching your breath, and then move your attention to the thoughts going through your mind, the feelings in your body, and even the sounds and sights around you. The key is to watch without judging or analyzing. Just be present. You can do this anywhere, from enjoying a quiet place in your house to practicing mindfulness in line at the grocery store. The possibilities are endless.

6. Simple mantra meditation. Many people find it easier to keep their mind from wandering if they concentrate on something specific. A mantra can help. This is a word or phrase you repeat as you sit in meditation, and is chosen for you by an experienced master in some traditions. If you are working on this alone, you can use any word or phrase that works for you, and can choose to either repeat it aloud or in your head as you meditate.

7. Meditating on a concept. Some meditative practices involve contemplation of an idea or scenario. An example is the “meditation on impermanence,” in which you focus on the impermanent nature of all things, starting with your thoughts and feelings as they come and go. In the Buddhist “meditation on the corpse,” you think about a body in the ground, as it slowly rots away and is fed on by worms. The technique is used to guide you to an understanding that your rationalizing mind might not bring you to.

There are several other types of meditations as well. Once you begin to practice regularly, you will see that it will be easier to not only meditate but have patience and awareness in your everyday life. The benefits of mediation are boundless.